Govt sets up panel to tackle naxal problem

Alarmed at the rising security concerns related to naxalism in the tribal belts the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) has set up a group of top bureaucrats to approach development issues in a creative manner in these areas.

According to PMO sources, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh felt that there was a need to develop programmes for these areas without compromising basic cultural identity and environment of these regions. The Prime Minister was convinced that this was the only way to tackle the naxal problem in the long run, sources added.

A high-powered committee headed by Planning Commission member Balachandra Mungekar has been notified. Other members of the panel include MK Narayanan, special adviser to the Prime Minister especially on matters of internal security, and TKA Nair, principal secretary to the Prime Minister.

Apart from them, secretaries of the ministries of home, legal affairs, rural development, panchayati raj, environment and forests will also be members with the secretary for the tribal affairs department as the member convenor of the panel.

The terms and conditions of the committee include finding ways of "reconciling the objectives of economic growth and environmental conservation." They also state identifying opportunities for promotion of livelihood for tribal communities, value addition of forest produce, medicinal plants for benefit sharing measures for community owned bio resources.

The most significant parts of the terms and conditions, however, are those related to security concerns arising out of the threat of naxalism in tribal areas. The group is to look into "an effective system of relief and rehabilitation for tribal groups displaced by development projects," which is said to be one of the main reasons why naxalism is gaining ground in these areas.

The group will also "identify measures to contain disaffection of tribal communities, which in turn leads to extremist violence."The government, which had come under Opposition fire for initiating talks with naxalite groups like the People's War Group in Andhra Pradesh without insisting on surrender of arms, seems to be making an effort at supplementary levels to resolve the problem.

Naxalite groups, in fact, seem to have increased their activities by grabbing private land in states like Andhra Pradesh to initiate a vigilante-style land reform in these areas. The group, therefore, will have its task cut out for itself in the coming months.